Ball-by-Ball Commentary
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:35 pm
Australia and Durban - it's a never ending love story. This is their fourth successive win at this venue and they've taken a crucial lead in the three-match series. However, they won't underestimate South Africa. The last time they toured these shores, they won the first Test in Durban and then lost the second at Gqeberha, ironically the venue of the next Test. The tour then nosedived with the Sandpaper controversy and they ended up losing the series 1-3. This time, however, it's a very confident unit led by Pat Cummins and they'll look to do one better at PE. Onto South Africa, they have struggled with injuries to their frontline pacers, which probably cost them this Test. Kagiso Rabada was rested as a precaution and he should be back for the next Test. The two-spin strategy didn't work here and they'll do well to take note of it. Regarding batting, they'll hope for more from their top-order and must ensure that starts convert into bigger innings. Lots of work for Shukri Conrad & Co. over the next four days. The two teams will be back in action on the 18th and we'll be back with our extensive coverage as well. For now, cheers and bye..
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:18 pm
Pat Cummins | Australia captain: [Reaction to Australia's victory] Yeah, it's great. I think a lot of it was built on what Matty Renshaw did on day one as well. Got through that day, that first day, and then that got us ahead and managed to clinch and hold on to that lead for the rest of it. [Leading a formidable bowling attack - the options available to him as a bowling captain] Yeah, it makes my life a lot easier. Anywhere I look, you've got plenty of Test wickets there, and even our part-timers are probably a bit better than part-timers. So I feel like I've got loads of options. But yeah, seeing particularly all the two quicks and Lyon just go to work, they've done it hundreds of times. It's always impressive. [His own form - contributing with the bat and picking up three wickets in the first innings] Yeah, really happy. I haven't played a lot of Tests over the last probably 18 months, and yeah, that felt as good as I have really. Yeah, coming in I said I was feeling quite fresh, and yeah, I'm glad that got through this Test and I felt really good, felt like I could bowl more overs if I needed. [The importance of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series] I mean, yeah, it's nice. It's better than the alternative. Yeah, obviously two games to play, anything can happen. But always once you're ahead in the series, it does make things a little bit easier. But yeah, again, playing away is really hard, so it's great to get confidence after a win. [Josh Hazlewood's six-wicket haul - his career-best figures and value to the Australian attack] Yeah, he's I think he gets a lot of wraps for how consistent he is, but I think that undersells him a little bit. You can bowl him at any time with a new ball, obviously class, but with the reversing ball he's got so many skills, can get the speed gun up when he wants to as well. So captain's dream, I feel like I can bowl him at any stage.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:17 pm
Temba Bavuma | South Africa captain: It's not the way you want to start. You've got to give it to the Australians, the way they dominated the majority of the game. The way that they stuck into us, even after they were 120 for six, they showed their experience, they showed their skill, and then to get themselves into a very competitive position. And I think from a lot of us who've had the experience of playing against them, you don't want to give them that opportunity to play the game from the front. So a lot of questions and conversations that we'll need to have. We can learn from the way they went about it from a batting and bowling point of view, but I think you've got to give it to them in terms of their performance. [On South African batters not converting their starts] I think probably the obvious one is guys getting in and going big. I think that was the biggest difference. If you look at our first innings, they had Matt Renshaw who went to get a big, big hundred for them and put them in a very competitive score. We had a number of guys who got in, but unfortunately weren't able to get us into strong competitive positions. And I think from a bowling front, you've got to admire the way that it seems as if they're quite proactive about their plans, different plans, different fields, and just kind of staying in there. So, like I said, we'll have the conversations, but we'll definitely learn from how they went about their business. [On not having a good record at Kingsmead] A bit hard to say. We don't get to play a great deal of cricket here in Durban. I think the last game we played here was Sri Lanka, we came on top. Before that, yes, we didn't have, I guess, the best of results, but very hard to say. I think you'd have to pull up all the guys who've played here to get a proper understanding.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:09 pm
Matt Renshaw | Player of the Match: [On his initial reaction to the Test] Pretty tired, to be honest. It's been a big five days. It's been a long time since I last played a five-day Test match. So yeah, it was nice to contribute. [On his plans in the first innings] Just try and stay out there as long as I could. Obviously, I tried to build a partnership with the bowlers. Then, it was just trying to play the game, face as many balls as possible, and fortunately I had some good allies out there. [On changing gears as the innings progressed] I think it was just the conditions and the field placement that worked against me. It was pretty hard to get twos, so there were a few times when I had to take a bit of a risk and try to hit a boundary. [On the second innings knock of 82] I was probably a little luckier in that second innings. A couple of bottom edges and a couple of top edges, but I think it was pretty similar. It was about pushing the envelope a little, getting us a decent lead, and getting us bowling as quickly as possible. [On batting at 5] It's pretty nice. It's a bit different from opening the batting, but I'm happy to do whatever the team needs me to do. [On his bowling and the two wickets] I was never expecting that. I think in my last over (before this Test) I bowled five full tosses and Patty dragged me pretty quickly. So, it was nice to just hit the pitch today and yesterday, and I was pretty lucky about that. [On the support from family and friends] I think so. I haven't had much chance to talk to them yet. It's been a tough time zone, but I think I'll have a few phone calls over the next couple of days.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
Aiden Markram vs AUS in the 4th innings 143 21 136 75 Since 2019, only Aiden Markram (50.72) and Joe Root (50.51) have averaged 50-plus in the 4th innings of a Test among the nine batters with 500+ runs scored.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
Matt Renshaw (272 runs, 2 wickets) becomes the 11th player overall and the first Australian to score 250+ runs and take 2+ wickets in a Test.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
Most 5-fers for Australian pacers in Tests 29 - Glenn McGrath 23 - Dennis Lillee 19 - Mitch Starc 16 - Graham McKenzie 15 - Josh Hazlewood
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
First loss for South Africa at home after winning four successive Tests since Nov 2024.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
This is Australia's fourth successive Test win at Kingsmead, Durban, since 2006.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
Most Tests before first defeat as South African captain 12 - Temba Bavuma 8 - Hashim Amla 5 - Herby Wade 4 - Peter van der Merwe 4 - Graeme Smith 4 - Faf du Plessis Bavuma holds the record for the most Test wins (11) as captain before his first defeat, ahead of Mike Brearley, who won 10 of his first 15 Tests as England captain in 1977-78.
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 05:04 pm
South Africa's reply consisted of soft dismissals: seven batters passed 25, but none surpassed David Bedingham's 49. These starts needed to be converted into substantial scores, but some poor dismissals meant they finished with 284 - handing Australia a 106-run first-innings lead. The visitors then batted aggressively, scoring at more than 5 RPO for most of the 58 overs and declared with a lead of 420. Asked to bat for 4 sessions, the home team needed a good start and some solid partnerships, but neither materialized. Despite a couple of 50+ partnerships, including Aiden Markram's hard-fought 75, the hosts were bowled out for 206, handing Temba Bavuma his 1st Test defeat as South Africa's captain. Josh Hazlewood was a menace with the ball throughout the second innings, and it was only fitting that he finished off the match with his 8th wicket of the game. Stay tuned for the presentations..
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:53 pm
13:23 Local Time, 11:23 GMT, 16:53 IST: South Africa fought hard for most of the first session, but the innings disintegrated rapidly after the visitors took the second new ball. Josh Hazlewood achieved a career-best performance and was the pick of the bowlers in the 4th innings, but this Test match was all about Matt Renshaw - his scores of 190 and 82 were probably the difference between the two teams and he then chipped in with two crucial wickets in South Africa's second innings. The home team will look back at moments that cost them this match; they had the visitors at 124 for 6 on the first day and let them off the hook. Renshaw was superb, but the home bowlers lost the line and length that had worked so well until then. The left-hander's career-best knock took his team to 390, which is a very good score at this venue - no team has lost in Durban after making 350 or more in the first innings and it was true here as well.
- 86.5wicketRSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:52 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Anrich Nortje, out Caught by Lyon!! 6 wickets for Hazlewood and Australia go 1-0 up with a 214-run thumping victory. Banged in short and at the right-hander, Nortje had no room on the pull, hit high on the bat and lobbed up towards mid-wicket - Lyon runs in and completes a simple catch. Anrich Nortje c Lyon b Josh Hazlewood 4(4) [4s-1]
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:52 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Anrich Nortje, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 86.4fourRSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:51 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Anrich Nortje, FOUR, width on offer and Nortje throws his hands on the back-foot drive, gets a thick edge that went flying past the slip cordon, off the mark with a boundary
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:51 pm
Three slips, a gully, leg slip and a FSL in place
- 86.3RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:51 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Anrich Nortje, no run, short of a good length and angling into the right-hander, Nortje looks to flick and gets an inside edge to FSL
- 86.2RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:50 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Keshav Maharaj, 1 run, just short of gully - extra bounce for Hazlewood and Maharaj was back in the crease as he looked to defend, gets slightly opened up and the ball falls in front of the man at gully
- 86.1RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:49 pm
Josh Hazlewood to Keshav Maharaj, no run, short of a good length and just outside off - Maharaj pushes it to the right of point and wanted a single, sent back by his partner
- —RSA· 13 Oct 2026, 04:48 pm
Markram’s 237 balls are his second-most in a Test innings, behind his 243-ball 108 runs against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2021. It’s also the most balls faced by a South African against Australia in a fourth innings at home, surpassing AB de Villiers’ 228 in Cape Town in 2014.